DC Fiona Griffiths risks her life as an undercover payroll clerk to entrap the murderous mastermind behind an ingenious fraud operation.

When I was first inspired to pen a novel, I took a Writers’ Workshop creative writing course which gave me the confidence and momentum. I soon discovered its founder, the incredibly productive Harry Bingham, truly is a writer’s writer. He has done so much to support authors and is known for his candid accounts of the industry (see what I mean in his Big Publishing and Me blog series here). In particular, he likes to remind writers that, whatever you do, it’s the quality and exceptionality of what you write that matters most.

With such a strong emphasis on quality and getting things done, it’s not a surprise that Harry has been published by some of the largest publishing groups in the world, has picked up great reviews, created debates, won awards and had his characters star in a TV drama.

It won’t shock you then, that I’ve been keen to get my hands on one of his books for a while so I can tell you what I truly think about the work of an author that a number of literary critics are raving about. So, recently I picked up Harry’s most recent book: The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths which crossed the Atlantic to the US in January following its publication in the UK last year. It’s the third book in a series (but can be read as a standalone too) and joins DC Fiona Griffiths as she risks her life as an undercover payroll clerk to entrap the murderous mastermind behind an ingenious fraud operation.

True characterisation mastery

Fiona Griffiths is by far the most original fictional detective I’ve come across. Very often, after reading crime, I’ve forgotten the lead characters’ names within a few days. Not this time! Fiona is far from a cardboard-cutout detective with alcohol issues (although she does enjoy the odd joint when undercover) because she is brilliantly complex. So, don’t expect Wales’ answer to Rebus. She’s deeply troubled yet warm and witty, a maverick without alienating superiors, fragile but courageous. She represents true characterisation mastery.

Fiona, who has only cried once in her adult life, is portrayed with great physiological depth without being dark. Even though Fiona battles with her identity and borderline psychosis, I never found her depressing. She is a strong woman. A survivor. She’s perfect for working undercover as she’s used to managing multiple forms of self and her demons give her drive. Men are attracted to her but not because she flutters her eyelashes. They’re intrigued by her. What I found particularly clever is the way that, at times, she shifts in and out of referring to herself in the third person, showing confusion rather than describing the fog. In fact, as much as this is a story of the search for a criminal mastermind, it’s a story of Fiona’s search for her identity.

Fiona’s instability gives scenes vibrancy

As the book is written in the first person, I ask Harry what it’s like being in Fiona’s head. He tells me he enjoys writing from a female perspective although, as a result of his research, he’s now being ‘stalked’ online by adverts for damson dresses and breast enlargements. However, he tells me his biggest characterisation challenge isn’t gender but rather portraying the instability of Fiona’s mind. She is, after all, a woman who takes comfort in thinking about corpses, turning scenes that could be boring – like clothes shopping – into vibrant ones. He says he wants her to be dark and odd yet funny and interesting so readers want to stick by her and root for her. One of the things that is fun about Fiona is that she won’t simply tolerate rules and moan about them, she’ll break them and won’t care. There were times she made me cheer and think “you go girl!”

An intense and potent experience

Despite Fiona’s vulnerabilities, the story by no means proceeds tentatively. There is mental and physical brutality. The story takes longer to build than most police procedurals because of the time taken to establish the characters but, as a result, when action ramps up, the experience is potent, with the intensity of a psychological thriller. It made me feel breathless with worry, concern and eventually fear for Fiona.

The plot is relatively simple in order to give space for characterisation and, although the book has a literary feel, the pace is saved largely because remarkable detail is built up with so few words. Harry, clearly not one to rely on a casual flick through a thesaurus, has a knack for picking precise words or choosing unusual objects that create a vivid image, such as a saucepan used to hammer in a nail and a hockey stick with which Fiona asks to be hit on purpose.

The story accelerates significantly as it heads into the final act before slowing after the climax towards a more literary-style ending that sets the scene for the next book. This gave my tangled brain a chance to catch up.

But what is this strange death?

Maybe Fiona lives. Maybe she doesn’t. Maybe she’s something in-between. One thing’s for certain: It unlikely to be what you expect. This clever surprise and Harry’s courage to tackle the genre in a new way means this is the easiest five stars I’ve ever awarded a book.

I’m elated when Harry tells me there are more books to come in the series. Ten in fact. He already has the overarching narrative in his mind but, in terms of the specifics, he’s tackling each book at a time. This could explain why book three stands so well on its own. I hope he’s typing the next one quick! I’m already experiencing withdrawal symptoms like the one day – I vow never to repeat — when I tried to give up coffee. With so many twists and turns, I know that whatever’s next will be truly surprising.

If you’re interested in a really strong female investigator who is quirky, different and unlike anything you’ve read before and/or you’re a writer keen to study brilliant characterisation in practice, you should definitely check out The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths.

This terrific book is available here in the US and here in the UK. After you’ve had a taste of it I wouldn’t be surprised if, like me, you’ll be off to buy the first two books in the series!

Loretta Milan is the founder of Literary Lightbox. She works as a professional writer and also has a novel in construction. She is a graduate of the Faber Academy and Curtis Brown Creative’s three-month novel writing programme. Her writing is fuelled by too much tea.

‪The Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition judges are looking for original stories children will love. First prize is a publishing contract, a £10,000 advance and literary agent representation. It’s open internationally until 28th February: www.chickenhousebooks.com/submissions/... See MoreSee Less

I loved writing at school - almost as much as reading&period; I went to university to study English&period; Reading the great writers made me feel I was presumptuous to want to write&comma; so I stopped - except for keeping a journal&period;&NewLine;Happily&comma; I did a correspondence Journalism course at 35 and started to write again as a freelance writer&period; I wrote magazine short stories and feature articles for newspapers and magazines&period; I knew&comma; then that I was meant to be a writer&period; &NewLine;After 15 years as a freelance writer&comma; I penned my first novel&period; Novels are what I now write&period; I’m busy with my fourth&period; &NewLine;I understand that there is a place for the contemporary novels I write&period; We can’t all aspire to write a classic or a Man Booker prizewinner&period; &NewLine;I wish I’d understood that at university&period; However&comma; I am so grateful that I took up my pen again in my 30s&period; I hope I am spared to write at least five more novels&period;

So true&period; I stated that my target market for my first novel was&colon; mature professional women&period; I had wonderful feedback from gay men&comma; some twenty-somethings and a handful of octogenarians&excl;

‪The Bristol Short Story Prize is open for entries from published and unpublished writers internationally. Submit your entry by 1st May for an opportunity to win the top prize of £1,000: www.bristolprize.co.uk... See MoreSee Less

The Berlin Writing Prize is open. Writers around the world can submit up to 3,000 words of fiction or nonfiction on the theme of “The Circus” by 30th June. The top prize includes a one-month residency in Berlin’s Circus Hotel and more. www.thereaderberlin.com/writingprize2019/... See MoreSee Less

The 2019 Berlin Writing Prize is now open for submissions&excl; Until the closing date of June 30&comma; 2019&comma; we invite entries on the theme "The Circus" from both published and unpublished writers resident anywhere in the world&period; Up for grabs is a one-month residency in a luxury apartment in one of the world'&period;&period;&period;

Agree&period; Observing others and&comma; yes&comma; trying to feel their pain has been the inspiration for one of my three novels and my current WIP&period; The next two I’m planning will definitely also be written from empathy&period;